Naomi Judd

Ashley Judd

New! Ashley spent part of July and August in New Orleans, filming BUG...a new thriller from William Friedkin, the famed director of The Exorcist. Ashley also adorned the September issue of Conde Nast Traveller with a photo shoot from Cape Town, South Africa.

Ashley also just wrapped the indie feature "Come Early Morning," a film shot entirely on location in Arkansas for first-time director and actress, Joey Lauren Adams.

Ashley has just confirmed that she will be traveling to Central America early next year on behalf of YouthAIDS and was the recent focus of a 2 hour VH-1 documentary in August that chronicled her 2005 trip to Africa for YouthAIDS.

Have you seen Ashley on recent commercials for American Beauty? You may have also seen her on September's Self magazine cover where Ashley was named 2005 Most Inspiring Woman of the Year or on the Life magazine cover in August. She was on the inaugural cover of Capitol File magazine in September as well.

An eighth generation Eastern Kentuckian, Ashley first proved her acting abilities in her debut feature film role as Ruby Lee Gissing in Victor Nunez' internationally acclaimed "Ruby In Paradise" but has since gone on to grace covers of magazines around the globe. She is a favorite of Giorgio Armani and is the International Spokesperson for YouthAIDS.

In 2005, she addressed the United States Congress and the National Press Club, raising the awareness of the world wide epidemic of AIDS. She has traveled to Africa and Asia on behalf of YouthAIDS to bring the world to the attrocities of these disease-famined regions. She joined Bono on the Heart of America Tour in 2002 and spoke eloquently to the millions of Americans who came to learn more about the worldwide pandemic.

And shall we not forget, Ashley is married to her prince and race car driver, Dario Franchitti. The two tied the knot at the Skibo Castle near Dornoch in Scotland in December 2001.

She completed her well-received return to Broadway in February 2004, appearing in the well-received Tennessee Williams play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The play packed houses and shattered records at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, no doubt due to Ashley's steamy performance and the captivating cast including Jason Patric, Ned Beatty and the wonderful Margo Martindale! The play ended when Ashley tore ligaments in her foot on stage during one of Maggie's infamous leaps from the mattress. She turned down the role of "Catwoman" to play the famous Maggie the Cat on Broadway.

Ashley filmed "De-Lovely" with Kevin Kline in Europe in 2003, and the performance garnered her a second Golden Globe Award.

In one of her busiest years, Ashley had three box office hits all of which debuted in 2002: "High Crimes" with Morgan Freeman, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" with Sandra Bullock (Friend Oprah called it her best performance to date!) and the Oscar winning "Frida" are all now on home video and DVD everywhere!


Ashley Judd spent the dog days of summer of 2000 in New York filming "Someone Like You" with Greg Kinnear ("As Good As It Gets"). The movie is now on DVD and home video and debuted nationally on March 30, 2001, with an estimated $10 million dollar take on the first two days alone!

Ashley's 1999 blockbuster hit "Double Jeopardy," with Tommy Lee Jones is now available on home video. In fact, the thriller once again showed its winning ways by debuting at the top of video release chart! The film was produced by Leonard Goldberg for Paramount Pictures and was the hit of the fall and now a cult classic on home video and DVD. It outgrossed big movies from Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt combined! In the action-packed film shot primarily in Canada, Ashley portrays a woman wrongly accused and imprisoned for her husband's murder who, in turn, must fight to retain custody of her son.

The film crossed the rare feat by grossing more than $100 million!

Ashley's video thriller "Eye of the Beholder" with Ewan McGregor (from "Stars Wars: The Phantom Menace") debuted at #1 in January 2000, on Superbowl Sunday. "Eye of the Beholder" is an adaption of the Marc Behm novel and was directed by Stephan Elliot, known for his cult classic, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". It's a role like no other...don't miss it!

Also in video stores everywhere is "Where the Heart Is" starring Natalie Portman (also from "Star Wars"), Stockard Channing ("Grease"), Sally Field ("Steel Magnolias") and Joan Cusack ("In and Out"). Directed by Matt Williams (co-creator of "Roseanne" and "Home Improvement") and adapted from the Oprah Book Club selection of the same name, Ashley (this time playing the mother of four!) is once again rumored to steal the show with her performance. Says Portman of the film, "It had a very sweet tone to it. It was unabashedly well-meaning. There's no cynicism, nothing edgy about it."

In 1998, Ashley was in the Walt Disney Pictures hit, "Simon Birch," in which she stars opposite Oliver Platt, Ian Smith and Joseph Mazzello. The film, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, is based on the John Irving novel, A Prayer for Owen Meaney. The story follows one year in the lives of two best friends -- Simon and Joe-- whose relationship takes an unexpected turn when Simon hits a foul ball, accidentally killing Joe's mother, leading each boy to discover his destiny. The film is also available for rental at your local video store.

In 1997, Judd also starred opposite Morgan Freeman in Paramount Pictures box-office hit "Kiss The Girls" as well as MGM's "The Locusts," in which she co-starred opposite Vince Vaughn and Kate Capshaw. Judd was also seen in Michael Mann's "Heat," for which she won critical acclaim opposite Robert DeNiro, AL Pacino and Val Kilmer. In the summer of 1996, she appeared in Joel Schumacher's "A Time To Kill," opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey. In late 1996, she was starring opposite Luke Perry in John McNaughton's "Normal Life," for which she received critical acclaim.

Also in 1996, Judd received an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Norma Jean in HBO's "Norma Jean & Marilyn."

Judd made her debut theatre performance in the Naked Angel's production of "Busted," directed by Timothy Hutton. She then went on to star as Madge on Broadway in William Inge's Pulitzer-prize winning play, "Picnic" at the Roundabout Theatre Company, while simultaneously filming a supporting role in the Miramax Film "Smoke," portraying the daughter of Harvey Keitel and Stockard Channing.

Ashley has three times been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine. A Phi Beta Kappa and Honors Program student of the University of Kentucky with a major in French and four minors, Judd has studied the Meisner technique in acting for several years. She is an avid fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats mens basketball team. Her hobbies include yoga, running, cooking, rock climbing, moutain hiking and gardening. She is the mother to two cockapoos and numerous cats.

Ashley attended 12 schools in 13 years, is fluent in French and shares a birthday with Kate Hudson.


ASHLEY'S FILMOGRAPHY

Bug (2006)
Come Early Morning (2006)
De-Lovely (2004)
Twisted (2004)
Frida (2002)
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
High Crimes (2002)
Someone Like You (2001)
Eye of the Beholder (2000)
Where the Heart Is (2000)
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Simon Birch (1998)
Kiss the Girls (1997)
The Locusts (1997)
A Time to Kill (1996)
Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996)
Normal Life (1996)
Smoke (1995)
Heat (1995)
The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)
Natural Born Killers (all scenes deleted, 1994)
Kuffs (1993)
Ruby in Paradise (1993)

This Judd's For You!